Life through the viewfinder: tirana

Showing posts with label tirana. Show all posts

Friday, March 20, 2015

Eclipse as seen from Tirana

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Eclipse as seen from Tirana, 20 March 2015[/caption]

Saturday, February 7, 2015

Sunday, January 18, 2015

Smoke in the sky

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Smoke in the sky[/caption]

Nothing serious, perhaps burning plastic or tires. Last time there was smoking in the sky, it was in 2008. Bad times... I remember I was at my fiancee's house, laying on the bed (doing nothing actually). Suddenly a thunder like sound and earthquake like tremors swept through for a fraction of a second. A couple of minutes later all TV stations stopped broadcasting their regular programs and there were breaking news about a large explosion some 15 km away.

Long story short, some 21 year old guy from The States had won a contract with Pentagon to supply Afghan troops with ammunition. Sneaky motherfucker that he was, came here and bought Chinese and Soviet ammunition that was being prepared for dismantling. And funny thing is that US forces had contributed monetary for the dismantling process. So, this guy and his Albanian counterparts (including ex PM's son) would sell to Pentagon the same ammunition Pentagon was paying Albanians to dismantle. Also, there is some sort of embargo against using Chinese and Soviet ammunition for American purposes. So they would repack it as Made In Albania and fly it to Afghanistan.

All this process was uncovered from a partner of the American guy, whom they pushed outside the business. Some time later he was found dead in an hunting accident but it is clear he got executed from ex PM's people.

This was a black page in Albania's history and the now-PM vowed to make things right. Unfortunately that was a political stunt and now, 7 years later, together with 26 souls, everything lays under the dusty mantle of forgetfulness...

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

BunkArt - Conference Hall

"The aim of bourgeois-revisionist television is mass degeneration."

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Conference Room[/caption]

This conference room was quite spacious, considering that you are underground and you have to traverse seemingly endless tunnels. The colored domes on the scene are bunker replicas. The hall has been used this New Year's eve for a TV show. Acoustics are not bad and the temperature is constant. Air vents are fully restored and if you don't suffer from claustrophobia, you should totally visit BunkArt.

Saturday, January 3, 2015

BunkArt - Tunnels

Entrance to the bunker. After the 4-5 concrete and metallic doors, there is this short tunnel which leads to more tunnels. Between them there are stairs and you get the impression that you go like 5 floors deep underground. In reality, you don't go deep underground, you just walk along the hill at a descending angle. So, you enter at the tunnel at ground level and you go like 4-5 floors down and when you get out you are still at ground level. That's because the way to the entrance is in some sort of U shape, like walking in a large trench. It's just that the tunnel is way deep horizontally. Here is a 3D rendering of it.

When you enter, the first apartments you encounter are those of Enver Hoxha, the highest figure and then officers and that of Mehmet Shehu, ex-PM who allegedly committed suicide sometime in 1981. The first question that comes in your mind is why are the most important figures at the beginning of the tunnel? In fact, that is the end of the tunnel but it is being used as an entrance so people won't have to go upwards while inside the tunnel. That means that if someone entered the tunnel from the real entrance, it would give enough time to the commanders to leave toward safety. Or, if there was no hope leaving, they would be the last men standing.

Some tunnels are closed to the public, because the rooms are empty and there is nothing to show yet.

Maybe there are other secret levels, who knows...

Sunday, December 28, 2014

Mineshaft

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Mineshaft[/caption]

This is part of the "Politically Persecuted Victims of Communism" memorial in Tirana. There is also a bunker and a piece from the Berlin Wall.

Monday, November 17, 2014

Embrace yourself, rain is coming

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Embrace Yourself, Rain Is Coming[/caption]

The angle shaped building is St. Paul's Cathedral while the roof hardly seen on the left is the famous Dajti Hotel, on Tirana's main boulevard. The mountain on the background is Dajti. Welcome to Tirana.